Bracell Group, which is part of Singapore-based RGE, will rebrand its operations throughout Brazil under the newly refreshed Bracell brand. Effective immediately, Bahia Specialty Cellulose (BSC) in Camacari, Bahia, and Lwarcel Celulose in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo, will operate under the unified Bracell brand. Bracell announced the rebranding shortly after it commenced work on ‘Project Star,’ a major expansion project at its pulp mill in the state of São Paulo.

“We have operated one of the industry’s most respected specialty cellulose producers, Bahia Specialty Cellulose, right here in Brazil for over 15 years,” said Per Lindblom, Executive Vice President, Bracell Group. “Our acquisition of Lwarcel Celulose in August 2018 now provides us with a platform to become one of the most dynamic and fastest growing dissolving pulp and cellulose operations not only in Brazil, but in the world.”

The New Brand – Bracell

“We are changing the face of the cellulose industry, so we will naturally evolve our brand”, said Marcelo Leite, Managing Director who has managed the company’s operations in Bahia since 2016. “The Bracell operations in Bahia and São Paulo are at the heart of the cellulose chain, producing high quality raw materials which are the key ingredients used to create a range of items we use every day, around the world. Bracell’s materials are used in a range of products, from textiles, baby wipes and eyeglass frames to soft ice-cream and pharmaceuticals, and industrial products such as high-performance tire cords.”

‘Project Star’: Mill Expansion in São Paulo State

Bracell’s pulp mill in Lençóis Paulista (formerly Lwarcel) has also officially launched ‘Project Star’, an ambitious expansion effort to increase its current production capacity of 250,000 by an additional 1,250,000 per annum to reach 1.5m ton per annum. Work on the expansion has already begun, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. By the time of its completion, Project Star is expected to represent the largest private investment in the state of São Paulo in the last 20 years.

Location and Employment for São Paulo Expansion

Over a two- to three-year period, Project Star will employ up to 7,500 workers during the peak of deployment with a fixed average of 3,500 workers; upon completion, the operation phase will employ up to 2,100 direct workers on a permanent basis in the mill and forestry. The epicentre of the investment will be concentrated in Lençóis Paulista and Macatuba.

Mill Expansion Features and Sustainability Commitments

The new mill in Lençóis Paulista will feature best-in-class technology that will have a flexible line designed primarily to produce dissolving pulp. The expansion project will feature the latest designs in a ‘new generation pulp mill’ which represents the first of its kind in Brazil to incorporate a bio-refinery concept to reduce waste and realize value across all potential streams.

The bio-refinery incorporates circular economy and closed loop approaches to production; this approach controls material inputs to maximise recycling and recovery of materials, minimise waste whilst greatly reducing the environmental footprint. Specifically, this results in low water consumption, low emission and no fossil fuels. By the time Project Star completes in 2021, Bracell will have annual production capacity of 2.0 million tons of dissolving pulp, and will employ 7,300 direct and indirect employees.

“Today is a historic day for all of us at Bracell,” added Pedro Stefanini, Managing Director at Bracell São Paulo. “We’re driven by an ambition to become the largest dissolving pulp operation in the world operating at the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. We will create much-needed jobs and career opportunities for thousands of people in Brazil as we grow, and also set the world-leading standards for the sustainable use of renewable resources.”